"l, not -l" > wrote

> Indeed, you do get the quarter back when you return the cart; that is the
> point - return the cart yourself, so Aldi doesn't have to pay someone to
> round up and return carts.

Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
ago. It didn't last. What a hassle getting the carts to separate.
People would chase you down in the parking lot, waving a quarter
begging to 'buy' your cart if you're done with it?

nancy

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:43:18 -0800, Nancy2 >
wrote:

>On Nov 7, 7:09 pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
>> Going tomorrow for the first time to take a look at the hams and turkeys. (I
>> am doing Thanksgiving dinner this year.) They have butterballs for $1.29 a
>> pound, and Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb).
>> No idea what the difference is.
>>
>> I see they carry what they call "private" brands. Any items particularly
>> good in these Aldi brands?
>>
>> I know I have to take my own bags and a quarter for the cart rental.
>> Anything else?
>
>I went into our Aldi's once, and that was enough. I didn't recognize
>a single brand and the whole place smelled like sour milk. No thanks.
>
>N.

The smell was probably poopie diapers from unattended brats running
around. Food stamps make baby's shit smell pretty bad.

Lou

Nancy Young wrote:
> "l, not -l" > wrote
>
>> Indeed, you do get the quarter back when you return the cart; that is the
>> point - return the cart yourself, so Aldi doesn't have to pay someone to
>> round up and return carts.
>
> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
> ago. It didn't last. What a hassle getting the carts to separate.
> People would chase you down in the parking lot, waving a quarter
> begging to 'buy' your cart if you're done with it?
>
> nancy
>
It always worked well when I've done it in Europe. The parking lots
remained free of loose, dangerous carts.

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
> wrote:

>Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>
>
>[SNIPEROONIE "partially hydrogenated" nonsense]
>
>
>> ALDI is a store for poor
>> people.
>
>
>Nonsense, it's a store for smart people who want to save some money...

Gotta disagree with you there. Maybe for those of you who think
you're smart but are lacking in shopping skills. In your case just
lacking a car and grateful they got rid of that Dominick's. Shit, a
White Hen would be better than a Dominick's. I went to the Aldi's
site which you posted a link to, and found nothing special to make me
go to a place with such a limited selection. I also read the replies
from another forum that you posted. The first one had someone who
switched to the Ultra in Forest Park. Doesn't that tell you that Aldi
isn't all that? Ultra is far from my favorite store but I've shopped
there many times. Aldi's site says cream cheese has been reduced to
$.89. Big deal. Same as Ultra. Or you can go to any Centrella store
and get the name brand (Philadelphia) for $.99. Aldi has reduced
butter to $1.89. Ultra has it for $1.50. By my limited math skills
you people that think you're smart, are overpaying. Various pork
chops range from $2.89 to $3.69 at Aldi. I recently paid $1.29 for
Aldi's $3.69 version and they weren't cryovaced in crap. We were out
in the burbs and found a great place with a real meat counter. I
could go on and on about how silly your comment was but I don't want
to embarrass you.

>But you'll also find plenty of savvy middle class white folks
>shopping there too.

Using food stamps?

>People need to get smart about grocery shopping,

Including you.

>there is no particular stigma about shopping at Aldi.

LOLOL. TJ's is the yuppie 7-11, and Aldi's is the food stamp heaven.
It's going to take a long time to change that stigma if it ever
happens.

>They opened a new store near me that is sparkling clean and with courteous help.
>I'd take 'em over Whole Foods any day..

Comparing WF to Aldi's is lubricious.

>but then I'm the kind of person that likes the thrill of hunting for a bargain.

You might do better finding that thrill in a glory hole.

Lou

On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:17:57 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>Oh pshaw, on Wed 07 Nov 2007 07:59:11p, Gregory Morrow meant to say...

>In some areas, Ald's is definitely focused on the poor, and only found in
>very poor neighborhoods. It is also evident in their marketing in these
>stores as well. Perhaps Chicago is an exception. The few I found around
>the Cleveland area were downright depressing to walk through.

Chicago is no exception Wayne. Aldi's sucks.

Lou

Sarah Gray wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>
>> ALDI is a store for poor people.
>
> It's a store for people who don;t feel like paying twice as much for
> the same stuff they would find on an average supermarket shelf. Poor
> people shop at the corner store because they have no car.
>
Sorry to piggy-back on your post, Sarah. Since when is it a crime to be
poor? Lots of people are poor.

I've never been to an Aldi's. Apparently there is one where I live. Might
have to check it out.

Jill

"l, not -l" > wrote in message
t...
>
> On 8-Nov-2007, "cybercat" > wrote:
>
>> I am thrilled to have an alternative to the usual three big chains I use.
>> Unfortunately I will not be able to go today due to a client-created
>> "emergency." But maybe this weekend!
>
> Don't wait too long, if you want one of the turkeys. I visited my local
> Aldi this morning and 89 cent/lb Butterballs were flying out of the store
> (quite an image, headless, frozen turkeys flying :-o ). For the first
> time
> since I have been buying at this particular Aldi, they had two checkouts
> open and both had a line, 2-3 deep. On other Thursday mornings, it is
> typical to have one checkout open and, maybe, one person ahead in line.
> --


Good advice! I finished dealing with my whinyclient early, and got there at
about 4 this afternoon. It is less than two miles from my house, and really
nice. The first thing I noticed is how clean and new everything is--though
the cashier told me they have been open since May. A clean, fresh smell
hit me as soon as the door opened.

I got my 12-lb Butterball for 89 cents a pound! Cheapest ones at Kroger
were $1.99. I also got a 10-lb ham. The Smithfield picnics looked good to
me, but my husband loves the "spiral sliced" honey hams, so I got one of
those.
It was $1.59 a pound. Kroger's cheapest was $2.49.

The biggest surprise was the produce--very pretty and fresh AND cheap.
The biggest, prettiest red peppers were three for $2.39. ($4 at Kroger.)
They were "packed by Lancaster Farms in Jessup Maryland."
The cucumbers were the best looking I have seen--the first all season that
have not been pocked and small and kind of shriveled looking. And they
were 49 cents a piece, instead of 75 cents ot a dollar at Kroger. Potatoes
were $1.99 for ten pounds. I paid $2.49 for five lbs of "baking potatoes"
just because they looked better and I do not need 10 lbs of potatoes.

I was not very adventurous with regard to the unknown brand things. I
picked up ketchup and mustard, some chunky salsa and a can of peas.

The other shoppers ran the gamut, families and singles, all races. (Those
of you who made comments regarding the poor who shop at your Aldi
are beneath contempt. You know who you are. Pigs.)

It was overall a really nice experience. I will go back. Thanks for the
constructive feedback.

On Nov 8, 3:24 pm, Lou Decruss > wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
>
>
> > but then I'm the kind of person that likes the
> > thrill of hunting for a bargain.
>
> You might do better finding that thrill in a glory hole.

Hehehehe.
>
> Lou

--Bryan

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:33:43 -0800, Gregory Morrow
> wrote:

>AND OTHER STUFF YOU HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...
>
>
>What I mean by that last bullet is other non-food items that will end
>up there somehow.

We bought a Step 2 sand and water table at Aldi's maybe eighteen
months ago. We paid about fifteen or twenty dollars cheaper than I
see advertised for the same toy at Toys R Us, Target, etc. My
little guys love it and I know we will get several more years of play
out of it.

Tara

"Tara" > wrote
>
> We bought a Step 2 sand and water table at Aldi's maybe eighteen
> months ago. We paid about fifteen or twenty dollars cheaper than I
> see advertised for the same toy at Toys R Us, Target, etc. My
> little guys love it and I know we will get several more years of play
> out of it.

I took a look at the non-food items and the most impressive thing I
saw was a gig of removable storage for $12.99 "while they last."
Actually, all I saw was the sign, as they were all gone.

"Becca" > wrote
>
> Raleigh is a lovely city. Some of my friends lived in Raleigh, until
> their house burned to the ground a couple of years ago.
>

I am really sorry to hear that. Raleigh was completely charming
20 years ago, but is overrun now. I still like it. "Progress,"
harrumpph!

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:54:42 -0500, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>
>I was not very adventurous with regard to the unknown brand things. I
>picked up ketchup and mustard, some chunky salsa and a can of peas.

Just try the various pantry items and see what you like. It's worth a
try. Most are good. I don't think I've tried the salsa. I don't
like the mayonnaise. Duke's for me!

Tara

"George" > wrote
>
> Its hit or miss. Some items are good and others are the same quality as
> Walmart. For example they just put refrigerated cases in the local stores
> and now have the Walmart style embalmed "fresh meat".
Yes, I did see this today. And the prices were not even good on the
meat! Also--prices were not great on cheeses and other dairy products.
Coffee was more expensive but that is because they carry "gourmet"
types--a house brand the sign says "COMPARE WITH STARBUCKS!"
and both Kona and alleged Jamaica Blue Mountain, already ground, for
$3.99 a lb. I said to myself, "put it back. You really like Harris Teeter or
Kroger store brand Columbian that runs $2.29 to $2.49, so why pay more?"
But if I liked the other kinds of coffee I might have tried it.

> Some of the canned items such as corn are good. The chocolate bars are
> good quality. Frozen veggies such as peas are good.

The best deals seem to be on the canned goods and things like candy,
cookies, cereal and crackers--well lower than 50% off the lowest price we
see
around here. Frozen rolls (they carry Marshall's brand, which is our
favorite yeast rolls) were on par with local stores.

Baking goods were also low. I rarely use any of the above as I don't
bake and we don't keep sweets and a lot of starchy stuff around. But
I can really see how Aldi would save a large family lots of money.

I think I will benefit most from the name brands they have on special,
and the produce. And some of the non-food items such as electronics
and kitchen utensils.

"pamjd" > wrote in message
ps.com...
> The canned green beans and corn are very good. I get the basics for
> baking there and have had very good imported beer! Interesting and
> always changing extras along with staples. My family likes some of
> the breakfast cereals more than brand name and it is much much less
> expensive. Have fun.
>
Thanks! It was fun. I noticed the good beer, some interesting wines (small
but they were from everywhere--France, Italy, Australia) and German coffee.
It was a breath of fresh air. Best of all, it will make the other groceries
compete. Raleigh was worst off when there were not many grocery chains to
choose from. When I moved here there was no Kroger, Lowes, Hannaford, or
Fresh Market. There were just private stores, Winn Dixie and Food Lion.

cybercat wrote:
>
> Going tomorrow for the first time to take a look at the hams and turkeys. (I
> am doing Thanksgiving dinner this year.) They have butterballs for $1.29 a
> pound, and Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb).
> No idea what the difference is.
>
> I see they carry what they call "private" brands. Any items particularly
> good in these Aldi brands?
>
> I know I have to take my own bags and a quarter for the cart rental.
> Anything else?

Can't help you with what's particularly good, as that varies from
country to country. Used to shop Aldi's in London for the German goods
and the ground coffee, which probably was their own brand. It was within
somewhat long walking distance but much of the walk was along a canal
anyway.

The selection will vary from time to time so if you do see something you
like get it then and there! Next week might disappear.

In article >,
Janet Baraclough > wrote:

> The message >
> from ravenlynne > contains these words:

> > Cheaper than our carts at one euro a pop.
>
> In the UK you have to insert a £1 sterling coin to unlock the cart,
> but you get one back when you return the empty cart; so the value of the
> coin used hardly matters.


Carts here are free. We'll see how long that lasts. I complained about
no carts at a local store. The manager says they just disappear. I see
a lot of abandoned carts in my neighborhood. People have no cars, so
they just take the cart home and leave it on the sidewalk. It doesn't
take much of that and there aren't any carts left at the store.

In article >,
"Nancy Young" > wrote:


> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
> ago. It didn't last. What a hassle getting the carts to separate.
> People would chase you down in the parking lot, waving a quarter
> begging to 'buy' your cart if you're done with it?


Reminds me of buying a newspaper a few years back. A woman approached
me, saying that it didn't make sense for both of us to pay. Once you
put the money in the machine, you can take as many as you want. I
refused. She was really peeved.

It's stealing. The guy who owns the machine pays for the papers that
are taken.

Eventually, when the cost of the stealing gets too high, they have to
take action. No more newspaper machines. Buy from a person who gets
paid money, and drive there to boot. No more free shopping carts. Even
if you get your money back, who is going to pay for the cost of securing
the carts? The store is going to jack up prices to pay for it.

"Dan Abel" > wrote

> "Nancy Young" > wrote:

>> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
>> ago. It didn't last. What a hassle getting the carts to separate.
>> People would chase you down in the parking lot, waving a quarter
>> begging to 'buy' your cart if you're done with it?

> Reminds me of buying a newspaper a few years back. A woman approached
> me, saying that it didn't make sense for both of us to pay. Once you
> put the money in the machine, you can take as many as you want. I
> refused. She was really peeved.
>
> It's stealing. The guy who owns the machine pays for the papers that
> are taken.

Of course it's stealing.

> Eventually, when the cost of the stealing gets too high, they have to
> take action. No more newspaper machines. Buy from a person who gets
> paid money, and drive there to boot. No more free shopping carts. Even
> if you get your money back, who is going to pay for the cost of securing
> the carts? The store is going to jack up prices to pay for it.

I'm not sure I follow you. No one was stealing anything, just rather
than me returning my cart and getting my quarter back, the next
person gave me a quarter and went and did their shopping. Then
presumably they returned the cart to get their quarter back or made
a similar deal with some other person.

nancy

In article >,
"Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:

> "cybercat" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb). No idea
> > what the difference is.
>
> Opposite ends of a ham cut in half. The butt tends to be a bit meatier.


That's quite an understatement, in my opinion. If cyberthing is looking
for a big bone, the shank is the way to go. I will never buy a shank
half again. The bone tends to burn when roasting, and the meat on the
thin end gets overcooked. Give me a butt any day!

"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
>
>> "cybercat" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>> > Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb). No
>> > idea
>> > what the difference is.
>>
>> Opposite ends of a ham cut in half. The butt tends to be a bit meatier.
>
>
> That's quite an understatement, in my opinion. If cyberthing is looking
> for a big bone, the shank is the way to go. I will never buy a shank
> half again. The bone tends to burn when roasting, and the meat on the
> thin end gets overcooked. Give me a butt any day!

Cannibal.

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:39:06 GMT, Sarah Gray >
> wrote:
>
>>> Most/nearly all are full of trans-fats.
>>>
>> True, but again, typical of what you would find in any supermarket.
>
> A real supermarket might have crap, but also has a better choice as an
> option. Not much choice at Aldi.
>
>>>> oatmeal
>>>> applesauce
>>>> yogurt -- my husband and sons really like their yogurt
>>> You are lucky. My 5 YO is spoiled on good yogurt.
>>>
>> pretentious much? not everyone can afford 4 bucks a quart for the good
>> stuff.
>
> You can't afford NOT to feed your kids good food. I went to two
> different Aldi's a few years ago when a similar thread came up here
> just to check them out and see if they'd changed. Same thing. YUK!
> A bunch of severely over weight swine buying garbage to train their
> litters to be as big as they are. The "Good Stuff" is produce and
> quality meats. Neither of which Aldi has.
>
> Lou
>

The Aldi by me has produce. The meat is mostly not to my standards, but
plenty of people buy meat at wal-mart and enjoy it...

The scenario you are presenting can be seen anywhere food is sold.

--

Sarah Gray

Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> On Nov 8, 9:56 am, Lou Decruss > wrote:
>> On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:39:06 GMT, Sarah Gray >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>> Most/nearly all are full of trans-fats.
>>> True, but again, typical of what you would find in any supermarket.
>> A real supermarket might have crap, but also has a better choice as an
>> option. Not much choice at Aldi.
>>
>>>>> oatmeal
>>>>> applesauce
>>>>> yogurt -- my husband and sons really like their yogurt
>>>> You are lucky. My 5 YO is spoiled on good yogurt.
>>> pretentious much? not everyone can afford 4 bucks a quart for the good
>>> stuff.
>
> We buy good brands when they are on sale. I'm not talking Brown Cow,
> but Breyer's, Dannon, or a local brand called Prairie Farms.
> Not pretentious at all here. I drive a beat up '97 Wrangler, and my
> spouse drives a beat up '01 Kia Rio. We just like good tasting food.

As do I. My position is, either I want the really good stuff I love (in
my case, that would be seven stars farm organic yogurt, no additives,
just milk and cultures and natural flavor) or whatever is
reasonablydecent and cheap. The yogurt at Aldi is no better or worse to
my tastebuds than any of the mainstream national brands, or other store
brands in the area.

>> You can't afford NOT to feed your kids good food. I went to two
>> different Aldi's a few years ago when a similar thread came up here
>> just to check them out and see if they'd changed. Same thing. YUK!
>> A bunch of severely over weight swine buying garbage to train their
>> litters to be as big as they are. The "Good Stuff" is produce and
>> quality meats. Neither of which Aldi has.
>
> The ALDI here has produce. A lot of times the produce is quite good,
> though very limited in variety. It does not have, as you said,
> "quality meats." It does have dairy at very reasonable prices.
>> Lou

The cheese is remarkably good for cheap stuff. The sharp cheddar is
actually sharp!


--

Sarah Gray

Tara wrote:
> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 18:54:42 -0500, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>> I was not very adventurous with regard to the unknown brand things. I
>> picked up ketchup and mustard, some chunky salsa and a can of peas.
>
> Just try the various pantry items and see what you like. It's worth a
> try. Most are good. I don't think I've tried the salsa. I don't
> like the mayonnaise. Duke's for me!
>
> Tara

The olive oil is not very good, either. It would be ok for cooking,
maybe, but not dressings(though I don't hate their mayo, I prefer
Hellman's) I still think that for many, many basic pantry items, Aldi is
the way to go.

--

Sarah Gray

Nancy2 wrote:
> On Nov 7, 7:09 pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
>> Going tomorrow for the first time to take a look at the hams and turkeys. (I
>> am doing Thanksgiving dinner this year.) They have butterballs for $1.29 a
>> pound, and Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb).
>> No idea what the difference is.
>>
>> I see they carry what they call "private" brands. Any items particularly
>> good in these Aldi brands?
>>
>> I know I have to take my own bags and a quarter for the cart rental.
>> Anything else?
>
> I went into our Aldi's once, and that was enough. I didn't recognize
> a single brand and the whole place smelled like sour milk. No thanks.
>
> N.
>

um, duh. they don't sell the brands you see in other stores, for the
most part. that's why they are so inexpensive. Every Aldi I've been in
has been really really clean, so I am surprised that you had such a bad
experience.

--

Sarah Gray

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
> > wrote:
>
>> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>
>>
>> [SNIPEROONIE "partially hydrogenated" nonsense]
>>
>>
>>> ALDI is a store for poor
>>> people.
>>
>> Nonsense, it's a store for smart people who want to save some money...
>
> Gotta disagree with you there. Maybe for those of you who think
> you're smart but are lacking in shopping skills. In your case just
> lacking a car and grateful they got rid of that Dominick's. Shit, a
> White Hen would be better than a Dominick's. I went to the Aldi's
> site which you posted a link to, and found nothing special to make me
> go to a place with such a limited selection. I also read the replies
> from another forum that you posted. The first one had someone who
> switched to the Ultra in Forest Park.

Well, they don't have that store everywhere.

> Doesn't that tell you that Aldi
> isn't all that? Ultra is far from my favorite store but I've shopped
> there many times. Aldi's site says cream cheese has been reduced to
> $.89. Big deal. Same as Ultra. Or you can go to any Centrella store
> and get the name brand (Philadelphia) for $.99. Aldi has reduced
> butter to $1.89. Ultra has it for $1.50. By my limited math skills
> you people that think you're smart, are overpaying. Various pork
> chops range from $2.89 to $3.69 at Aldi. I recently paid $1.29 for
> Aldi's $3.69 version and they weren't cryovaced in crap. We were out
> in the burbs and found a great place with a real meat counter. I
> could go on and on about how silly your comment was but I don't want
> to embarrass you.
>

Most of the meat at Aldi is not priced competitively enough to beat loss
leader prices. (There is also the quality issue; I assume most people
prefer their beef unadulterated) The low prices on the hundreds of other
pantry staples they have make up for it, imo. I think it is ridiculous
to make a claim that to save money one should shop at only one store. My
personal shopping plan type thing is to shop loss leaders at the chains,
and fill in the gaps with Aldi stuff.

>> But you'll also find plenty of savvy middle class white folks
>> shopping there too.
>
> Using food stamps?
>

In the 3 years I have been shopping at Aldi, I have seen all of one
person pay with food stamps.

>> People need to get smart about grocery shopping,
>
> Including you.
>
>> there is no particular stigma about shopping at Aldi.
>
> LOLOL. TJ's is the yuppie 7-11, and Aldi's is the food stamp heaven.
> It's going to take a long time to change that stigma if it ever
> happens.
>
>> They opened a new store near me that is sparkling clean and with courteous help.
>> I'd take 'em over Whole Foods any day..
>
> Comparing WF to Aldi's is lubricious.
>

I will agree with you on that. Myself, I'd go for one of the local
upscale places over WF anyhow. (I'm biased, I used to work there :>)



--

Sarah Gray

jmcquown wrote:
> Sarah Gray wrote:
>> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>> ALDI is a store for poor people.
>> It's a store for people who don;t feel like paying twice as much for
>> the same stuff they would find on an average supermarket shelf. Poor
>> people shop at the corner store because they have no car.
>>
> Sorry to piggy-back on your post, Sarah. Since when is it a crime to be
> poor? Lots of people are poor.
>

There is nothing wrong with being poor, but there are many people who
live frugally who are not "poor".

> I've never been to an Aldi's. Apparently there is one where I live. Might
> have to check it out.
>
> Jill
>
>


--

Sarah Gray

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:48:54 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:

>
>On 8-Nov-2007, Nancy2 > wrote:
>
>> I went into our Aldi's once, and that was enough. I didn't recognize
>> a single brand and the whole place smelled like sour milk. No thanks.
>>
>> N.
>
>We have a store here that smelled like rotten meat for 30 years

Why did you ever return?

Lou

l, not -l wrote:
> On 8-Nov-2007, "cybercat" > wrote:
>
>> I was not very adventurous with regard to the unknown brand things. I
>> picked up ketchup and mustard, some chunky salsa and a can of peas.
>
> I like their mustard and ketchup just as well as any; their salad dressings
> are also good, I used to buy Ken's and Wishbone, but most use Aldi's now.
> At my local Aldi, they carry 3 price ranges of salad dressings, from
> pedestrian to gourmet and I buy from the low-price line except for the
> up-tier Tuscan Garden Vidalia Onion dressing.
>


I love that stuff! It tastes like this dressing I used to buy at Sam's
Club, but it's half the price.

> I like their salsa, which comes in two price lines; most often I buy the
> low-end and it is comparable to major brands IMO; I occasionally switch off
> to their up-tier salsas for variety.
>
> I buy a lot of canned tomatoes and used to buy use a lot of RedGold diced
> tomatoes with jalapeno peppers; I switched to Aldi brand and found them to
> be good, but "hotter". They are good and I continue too use them, it's just
> the first time I used them, I was surprised to find the extra "heat".
>
> At my local Aldi (fairly affluent neighborhood), almost all items are
> available in two or three tiers. Grandessa and Tuscan Garden are usually
> up-tier products; pricier than similar item next to it and either a bit
> higher quality or "frou-frou" (less common shapes of pasta, for example).
>
> Most of their produce is packaged locally (STL); almost every produce
> package say packed by xxxx St. Louis MO, or yyyy Chicago IL.
>
>

I have never been disappointed with any of the "specialty" stuff- the
grandessa line, the deutche kuchen stuff, the Asian stuff. Though for
Asian stuff, I can go to one of the bazillion ethnic grocers around
here. (One of the few things I like about Detroit!)

--

Sarah Gray

"Lou Decruss" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:48:54 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:
>
>>
>>On 8-Nov-2007, Nancy2 > wrote:
>>
>>> I went into our Aldi's once, and that was enough. I didn't recognize
>>> a single brand and the whole place smelled like sour milk. No thanks.
>>>
>>> N.
>>
>>We have a store here that smelled like rotten meat for 30 years
>
> Why did you ever return?
>

Attributions.

Gregory Morrow wrote:
> Sarah Gray wrote:
>
>> Lou Decruss wrote:
>>> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> [SNIPEROONIE "partially hydrogenated" nonsense]
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> ALDI is a store for poor
>>>>> people.
>>>> Nonsense, it's a store for smart people who want to save some money...
>>> Gotta disagree with you there. Maybe for those of you who think
>>> you're smart but are lacking in shopping skills. In your case just
>>> lacking a car and grateful they got rid of that Dominick's. Shit, a
>>> White Hen would be better than a Dominick's. I went to the Aldi's
>>> site which you posted a link to, and found nothing special to make me
>>> go to a place with such a limited selection. I also read the replies
>>> from another forum that you posted. The first one had someone who
>>> switched to the Ultra in Forest Park.
>> Well, they don't have that store everywhere.
>>
>>> Doesn't that tell you that Aldi
>>> isn't all that? Ultra is far from my favorite store but I've shopped
>>> there many times. Aldi's site says cream cheese has been reduced to
>>> $.89. Big deal. Same as Ultra. Or you can go to any Centrella store
>>> and get the name brand (Philadelphia) for $.99. Aldi has reduced
>>> butter to $1.89. Ultra has it for $1.50. By my limited math skills
>>> you people that think you're smart, are overpaying. Various pork
>>> chops range from $2.89 to $3.69 at Aldi. I recently paid $1.29 for
>>> Aldi's $3.69 version and they weren't cryovaced in crap. We were out
>>> in the burbs and found a great place with a real meat counter. I
>>> could go on and on about how silly your comment was but I don't want
>>> to embarrass you.
>>>
>> Most of the meat at Aldi is not priced competitively enough to beat loss
>> leader prices. (There is also the quality issue; I assume most people
>> prefer their beef unadulterated) The low prices on the hundreds of other
>> pantry staples they have make up for it, imo. I think it is ridiculous
>> to make a claim that to save money one should shop at only one store. My
>> personal shopping plan type thing is to shop loss leaders at the chains,
>> and fill in the gaps with Aldi stuff.
>
>
> I've notice that Aldi's meat is not appreciably cheaper than what I can get
> at my two local independent stupormarkets (Treasure Island and the Market
> Place in Chicawgo). I'm not going to Aldi to save ten cents on pork chops
> or chix breasts that I can get closer to home (I have to take a bus to Aldi
> as I don't drive)...I *might* go there to get some of their German - type
> stuff, e.g. Black Forest Ham, sausages, etc. or a spiral - sliced ham, which
> can be appreciably cheaper at Aldi.
>
> Same with their produce items, Aldi will often have pound bags of min -
> carrots or three pound bags of onions for 79 cents, these things are
> routinely on sale for 99 cents at my regular stores. And a whiles back I
> noticed that per pound cabbage was actually a bit *more* expensive at Aldi
> ("large head for 99 cents") than at Market Place which had four lbs for a
> buck...and Treasure Island at 19 cents/lb....
>
> I pays to do yer homework...
>

Heh. I have a notebook where I have the best "regular" prices on pretty
much anything I might care to purchase, grocery-wise. 75% of it is Aldi.

If you know how much the best regular price is, you know when a sale is
really a deal, and when you can pass it up.

--

Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray wrote:

> Lou Decruss wrote:
> > On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> [SNIPEROONIE "partially hydrogenated" nonsense]
> >>
> >>
> >>> ALDI is a store for poor
> >>> people.
> >>
> >> Nonsense, it's a store for smart people who want to save some money...
> >
> > Gotta disagree with you there. Maybe for those of you who think
> > you're smart but are lacking in shopping skills. In your case just
> > lacking a car and grateful they got rid of that Dominick's. Shit, a
> > White Hen would be better than a Dominick's. I went to the Aldi's
> > site which you posted a link to, and found nothing special to make me
> > go to a place with such a limited selection. I also read the replies
> > from another forum that you posted. The first one had someone who
> > switched to the Ultra in Forest Park.
>
> Well, they don't have that store everywhere.
>
> > Doesn't that tell you that Aldi
> > isn't all that? Ultra is far from my favorite store but I've shopped
> > there many times. Aldi's site says cream cheese has been reduced to
> > $.89. Big deal. Same as Ultra. Or you can go to any Centrella store
> > and get the name brand (Philadelphia) for $.99. Aldi has reduced
> > butter to $1.89. Ultra has it for $1.50. By my limited math skills
> > you people that think you're smart, are overpaying. Various pork
> > chops range from $2.89 to $3.69 at Aldi. I recently paid $1.29 for
> > Aldi's $3.69 version and they weren't cryovaced in crap. We were out
> > in the burbs and found a great place with a real meat counter. I
> > could go on and on about how silly your comment was but I don't want
> > to embarrass you.
> >
>
> Most of the meat at Aldi is not priced competitively enough to beat loss
> leader prices. (There is also the quality issue; I assume most people
> prefer their beef unadulterated) The low prices on the hundreds of other
> pantry staples they have make up for it, imo. I think it is ridiculous
> to make a claim that to save money one should shop at only one store. My
> personal shopping plan type thing is to shop loss leaders at the chains,
> and fill in the gaps with Aldi stuff.


I've notice that Aldi's meat is not appreciably cheaper than what I can get
at my two local independent stupormarkets (Treasure Island and the Market
Place in Chicawgo). I'm not going to Aldi to save ten cents on pork chops
or chix breasts that I can get closer to home (I have to take a bus to Aldi
as I don't drive)...I *might* go there to get some of their German - type
stuff, e.g. Black Forest Ham, sausages, etc. or a spiral - sliced ham, which
can be appreciably cheaper at Aldi.

Same with their produce items, Aldi will often have pound bags of min -
carrots or three pound bags of onions for 79 cents, these things are
routinely on sale for 99 cents at my regular stores. And a whiles back I
noticed that per pound cabbage was actually a bit *more* expensive at Aldi
("large head for 99 cents") than at Market Place which had four lbs for a
buck...and Treasure Island at 19 cents/lb....

I pays to do yer homework...

--
Best
Greg

Arri London wrote:

> cybercat wrote:
> >
> > Going tomorrow for the first time to take a look at the hams and
turkeys. (I
> > am doing Thanksgiving dinner this year.) They have butterballs for $1.29
a
> > pound, and Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a
lb).
> > No idea what the difference is.
> >
> > I see they carry what they call "private" brands. Any items particularly
> > good in these Aldi brands?
> >
> > I know I have to take my own bags and a quarter for the cart rental.
> > Anything else?
>
> Can't help you with what's particularly good, as that varies from
> country to country. Used to shop Aldi's in London for the German goods
> and the ground coffee, which probably was their own brand. It was within
> somewhat long walking distance but much of the walk was along a canal
> anyway.
>
> The selection will vary from time to time so if you do see something you
> like get it then and there! Next week might disappear.


Now what we need here in the states is Lidl...!!!


--
Best
Greg

Nancy Young wrote:
> "Dan Abel" > wrote
>
>> "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
>>> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
>>> ago. It didn't last. What a hassle getting the carts to separate.
>>> People would chase you down in the parking lot, waving a quarter
>>> begging to 'buy' your cart if you're done with it?
>
>> Reminds me of buying a newspaper a few years back. A woman approached
>> me, saying that it didn't make sense for both of us to pay. Once you
>> put the money in the machine, you can take as many as you want. I
>> refused. She was really peeved.
>>
>> It's stealing. The guy who owns the machine pays for the papers that
>> are taken.
>
> Of course it's stealing.
>
>> Eventually, when the cost of the stealing gets too high, they have to
>> take action. No more newspaper machines. Buy from a person who gets
>> paid money, and drive there to boot. No more free shopping carts. Even
>> if you get your money back, who is going to pay for the cost of securing
>> the carts? The store is going to jack up prices to pay for it.
>
> I'm not sure I follow you. No one was stealing anything, just rather
> than me returning my cart and getting my quarter back, the next
> person gave me a quarter and went and did their shopping. Then
> presumably they returned the cart to get their quarter back or made
> a similar deal with some other person.
>
> nancy
>
>

It's a racket at the commissary here IMO...Usually I have to go to the
ATM to get cash so that I can go and buy euro so that I can go rent a
cart that they don't let me take out of the store anyway...which
practically forces us to have a bagger take our things out to our
cars..then we have to tip the bagger a bunch because they work only for
tips. All for food that costs more than in town. Or the states. It's
ludicrous that I have to pay $3 for a head of iceberg lettuce or $4.50
for a smallish bunch of grapes. It's grape freaking season here in
Italy for cripes sake.

--
-Gina in Italy

http://www.myspace.com/ravenlynne1975
I'm a blogger: http://ravenwolflodge.blogspot.com

cyberHOLE wrote:

> "Dan Abel" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "Edwin Pawlowski" > wrote:
> >
> >> "cybercat" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>
> >> > Smithfield hams, too. Shanks (1.19 a lb) and butts (1.29 a lb). No
> >> > idea
> >> > what the difference is.
> >>
> >> Opposite ends of a ham cut in half. The butt tends to be a bit
meatier.
> >
> >
> > That's quite an understatement, in my opinion. If cyberthing is looking
> > for a big bone, the shank is the way to go. I will never buy a shank
> > half again. The bone tends to burn when roasting, and the meat on the
> > thin end gets overcooked. Give me a butt any day!
>
> Cannibal.


My "bone" is so big I can't get it through a glory hole...!!!

;-o

--
Best
Greg

Sarah Gray wrote:

> Gregory Morrow wrote:
> > Sarah Gray wrote:
> >
> >> Lou Decruss wrote:
> >>> On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:59:11 -0800, Gregory Morrow
> >>> > wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> [SNIPEROONIE "partially hydrogenated" nonsense]
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> ALDI is a store for poor
> >>>>> people.
> >>>> Nonsense, it's a store for smart people who want to save some
money...
> >>> Gotta disagree with you there. Maybe for those of you who think
> >>> you're smart but are lacking in shopping skills. In your case just
> >>> lacking a car and grateful they got rid of that Dominick's. Shit, a
> >>> White Hen would be better than a Dominick's. I went to the Aldi's
> >>> site which you posted a link to, and found nothing special to make me
> >>> go to a place with such a limited selection. I also read the replies
> >>> from another forum that you posted. The first one had someone who
> >>> switched to the Ultra in Forest Park.
> >> Well, they don't have that store everywhere.
> >>
> >>> Doesn't that tell you that Aldi
> >>> isn't all that? Ultra is far from my favorite store but I've shopped
> >>> there many times. Aldi's site says cream cheese has been reduced to
> >>> $.89. Big deal. Same as Ultra. Or you can go to any Centrella store
> >>> and get the name brand (Philadelphia) for $.99. Aldi has reduced
> >>> butter to $1.89. Ultra has it for $1.50. By my limited math skills
> >>> you people that think you're smart, are overpaying. Various pork
> >>> chops range from $2.89 to $3.69 at Aldi. I recently paid $1.29 for
> >>> Aldi's $3.69 version and they weren't cryovaced in crap. We were out
> >>> in the burbs and found a great place with a real meat counter. I
> >>> could go on and on about how silly your comment was but I don't want
> >>> to embarrass you.
> >>>
> >> Most of the meat at Aldi is not priced competitively enough to beat
loss
> >> leader prices. (There is also the quality issue; I assume most people
> >> prefer their beef unadulterated) The low prices on the hundreds of
other
> >> pantry staples they have make up for it, imo. I think it is ridiculous
> >> to make a claim that to save money one should shop at only one store.
My
> >> personal shopping plan type thing is to shop loss leaders at the
chains,
> >> and fill in the gaps with Aldi stuff.
> >
> >
> > I've notice that Aldi's meat is not appreciably cheaper than what I can
get
> > at my two local independent stupormarkets (Treasure Island and the
Market
> > Place in Chicawgo). I'm not going to Aldi to save ten cents on pork
chops
> > or chix breasts that I can get closer to home (I have to take a bus to
Aldi
> > as I don't drive)...I *might* go there to get some of their German -
type
> > stuff, e.g. Black Forest Ham, sausages, etc. or a spiral - sliced ham,
which
> > can be appreciably cheaper at Aldi.
> >
> > Same with their produce items, Aldi will often have pound bags of min -
> > carrots or three pound bags of onions for 79 cents, these things are
> > routinely on sale for 99 cents at my regular stores. And a whiles back
I
> > noticed that per pound cabbage was actually a bit *more* expensive at
Aldi
> > ("large head for 99 cents") than at Market Place which had four lbs for
a
> > buck...and Treasure Island at 19 cents/lb....
> >
> > I pays to do yer homework...
> >
>
> Heh. I have a notebook where I have the best "regular" prices on pretty
> much anything I might care to purchase, grocery-wise. 75% of it is Aldi.
>
> If you know how much the best regular price is, you know when a sale is
> really a deal, and when you can pass it up.


*Exactly*...

One local chain here (Jewel) regulary advertises items at "!0 for 10
dollars". Thing is, you can always beat that price down the street or
wherever where you can get "10 for 40/60/75 cents per item" or whatever...I
guess we suckers are supposed to go "WOW!" to get ten small oranges for ten
dollars (yep, that's a BUCK per orange) when I can go elsewhere and get a
five pound bag of oranges for $1.59 or whatever...

Jewel is also the place where I saw a 12 oz. tray of okra for $4.99, I guess
gumbo would be a luxury food if you bought the makin's there. It's also
where I saw a pound tray of "fresh" black - eyed peas for the same price.
In reading the label I saw that they were re - constituted from dried, and
plus which they had all kinds of additives.

Jewel is also the home of the THREE - pound bag of potatoes for $4.98. When
I first saw this I thought, "Huh, must be some specialty tater...". Nope,
just plain old russet spuds you can get most anywhere else for $1.98 or less
per 10 lb bag...and these looked pretty shriveled too. They once had the
"10 for 10 dollars" dealie for ordinary baking potatoes...

Jewel is the type of place to go for such entertainments, I might keep a
little notebook in which to jot the hilarious prices down on my *very*
infrequent trips there...they have Whole Foods or higher prices for
slumgullion produce.


--
Best
Greg

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:59:40 GMT, in rec.food.cooking, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

>The message >
>from "Nancy Young" > contains these words:
>
>
>> "l, not -l" > wrote
>
>> > Indeed, you do get the quarter back when you return the cart; that is the
>> > point - return the cart yourself, so Aldi doesn't have to pay someone to
>> > round up and return carts.
>
>> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
>> ago. It didn't last.
>
> It's been standard practice at UK supermarkets for years. There are
>depots throughout the carparks where you can stash the cart, pushing it
>into the train of other carts enables you to eject and reclaim the coin.
>Supermarkets still employ people to fetch the trains of carts from the
>carpark depots and take them back to the store entrance.
>
> Janet.

And we have an ASDA/Walmart near us where the wheels lock when you take
the cart out of the parking lot.

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 21:03:09 GMT, in rec.food.cooking, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

>The message . com>
>from Nancy2 > contains these words:
>
>
>> I went into our Aldi's once, and that was enough. I didn't recognize
>> a single brand
>
> If it's anything like Aldi in the UK, that's not surprising. Most of
>their packaged food stock comes from East Europe which is why it's very
>cheap but not always good quality.
>

I'm surprised about the smell. Aldi also sells a lot of good German
stuff. You'd recognise the brands if you shopped in Germany! And good
chocolate. Also excellent electronic stuff.
In the UK they carry some Sara Lee stuff as well. And they've got a mango
tikka lamb burger people say is delicious!

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:47:19 -0800, in rec.food.cooking, Gregory Morrow
wrote:

>
>Some locations carry liquor, including cheap German beers...

Ah yes, some very good buys on alcohol at times. I love the Crema di
limoncello I bought there last week.

Asda is going upmarket around here also, very organic too.

But I miss being near a Waitrose.

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

On 08 Nov 2007 07:31:04 GMT, in rec.food.cooking, Dan Goodman wrote:

>cybercat wrote:
>
>>
>> "Sarah Gray" > wrote
>> > The fresh meat is all injected, though, and so are the frozen
>> > chickens (it's hard to find ones that aren't these days though).
>>
>> ooo, that's not good. Thanks for letting me know.
>
>They inject with more water and salt than other supermarkets do.

Just out of curiousity, how do you know this?

Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

"Doug Weller" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 8 Nov 2007 20:59:40 GMT, in rec.food.cooking, Janet Baraclough
> wrote:
>
>>The message >
>>from "Nancy Young" > contains these words:
>>
>>
>>> "l, not -l" > wrote
>>
>>> > Indeed, you do get the quarter back when you return the cart; that is
>>> > the
>>> > point - return the cart yourself, so Aldi doesn't have to pay someone
>>> > to
>>> > round up and return carts.
>>
>>> Ugh, I've only seen those once, it was at Costco quite a few years
>>> ago. It didn't last.
>>
>> It's been standard practice at UK supermarkets for years. There are
>>depots throughout the carparks where you can stash the cart, pushing it
>>into the train of other carts enables you to eject and reclaim the coin.
>>Supermarkets still employ people to fetch the trains of carts from the
>>carpark depots and take them back to the store entrance.
>>
>> Janet.
>
> And we have an ASDA/Walmart near us where the wheels lock when you take
> the cart out of the parking lot.
>
> Doug


Then there's the shopping cart that has some vertical poles that are too
high to get out the door. You can't take the cart to the car or curbside.
:-(((( That one really astounded me -- wonder how much those poles on every
cart cost.

Lucky I don't have to carry groceries out to the car myself. Grrrr.
Dee Dee